At just 31, Fabian Hürzeler is the youngest permanent manager the Premier League has ever seen, but that doesn’t mean he is afraid to seek advice from the more experienced members of his squad. Take Danny Welbeck for example: the former England striker scored the second goal in Brighton’s impressive 3-0 victory at Everton on the opening weekend of the new season and spent almost 13 years at Manchester United, who Hürzeler’s side face on Saturday in his first home match. So who better to ask for tips about overcoming Erik ten Hag’s side?
“That’s one of my styles to lead – I’m listening to the experienced players because I can also learn from them,” said the German manager, who ended his playing career at the age of 23 to concentrate on coaching and is more than two years younger than Welbeck. “That’s something very open and the players know it. In the end they have experienced more things on the pitch than me – I’m not afraid of saying that because it’s true. I can learn from them and hear their opinions to help me prepare for a match against Manchester United. Danny Welbeck played there and maybe he has some more knowledge about the club and about the behaviour of their players. I would be silly if I didn’t use it. In the end, of course, it’s my job to make the decisions and the clear preparation to have the right match plan for a great opponent.”
After a summer that has seen them spend almost £150m on new recruits, with Brighton now heading into the second game of the campaign top of the nascent league table, supporters have plenty of reasons to feel excited. Potential moves for Fenerbahce’s Turkey left-back Ferdi Kadioglu – who has also been linked with United – and Celtic’s Danish midfielder Matt O’Riley would only increase their optimism, having already seen the club’s record transfer fee smashed this week by more than £10m, with the £40m acquisition of Georginio Rutter from Leeds. But it is their vibrant new manager that has set most pulses racing on the south coast.
A few days before their win over Everton that also featured a sparkling debut from another new signing, Yankuba Minteh, a baseball cap-wearing Hürzeler was given a standing ovation from more than 300 Brighton fans who were invited to the club’s annual pre-season forum. As well as being asked if he would get a tattoo of a seagull should Brighton do the double over arch-rivals Crystal Palace this season, the former St Pauli manager was also questioned about whether he sees this post as a “stepping stone” – perhaps with their experience of his predecessor Roberto De Zerbi in mind. “I don’t see myself as most important,” was his response. “It is more about giving my knowledge and my passion to the players and the club and to you.”
Hürzeler continued on that theme as he prepared for the meeting against United – a side against whom Brighton have enjoyed considerable success, with four wins in their past six meetings. Yet while he dismissed the suggestion that his team could be considered favourites, he was adamant that supporters can play a big part in building early momentum.
“I had a talk with them and for me it’s always important – the expectations from them, what they want to see the team doing on the pitch,” he said. “In the end it’s about giving everything you have in your body. They should have the feeling during every game that every player gives everything he has. I always try to build a connection to the supporters, because in the end I want them to be our 12th man, and they support us in every situation.”
He added: “In games like Manchester United there will be moments where we have to suffer together. There will be moments where maybe United control the game. And then you have to stand together, then you have to suffer together. I would love that the fans are still behind us and supporting us. That’s our job, to build this connection with the fans, and it only works if we give a lot of input and a lot of energy on the pitch, and a lot of intensity.”
Hürzeler insisted that Billy Gilmour is available and that the Scotland midfielder would still be at the club after the transfer window closes – “yes and yes,” he said, despite reports that Napoli have verbally agreed a fee for him. Minteh is free to play after passing concussion protocols following his withdrawal against Everton, while Rutter is also expected to take some part.
“He’s a little bit German, he’s a little bit from the UK and a little bit French, so there’s a mix of everything inside his character,” Hürzeler said of the France Under‑21 international. “He’s laughing a lot and I think he’s integrated fast in the group, and that’s the most important thing. Of course, I’m convinced that he will help us on the pitch, by his attitude working against the ball, by his quality in possession. He has something special. I have known him since he played for Hoffenheim and I followed his career.
“He can help us because he has a very good feeling for positioning, a very good feeling for finding the gaps in between the lines from the opponent and taking the game forward. He’s always trying to play vertically and I also like his reaction and his behaviour out of position and after losing the ball. So I think he has a very interesting package that will help us.”
